Martin Lawrence

Arguably one of the most popular and successful comedians of the mid-1990s, not to mention being the man who first popularized "Wassup?" as a socially acceptable expression of hello, actor Martin Lawr...
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This Sunday will be Neil Patrick Harris’ first time hosting the Oscars. Can you believe it? He’s practically hosted every other awards show (from the Tonys to the Emmys), but now he’s in the big leagues – among such iconic hosts as Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, and…Donald Duck? Yep, that’s right. The animated cartoon character actually co-hosted the ceremony back in 1958. We’re just glad we weren’t alive to witness that. But we’ve witnessed our fair share of other hosts, from bad to good. Allow us to rank them for you.
10. Anne Hathway &amp; James Franco (2011)
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Everyone was left scratching their heads when this hosting duo was announced, and Anne and James didn’t do much to allay people’s concerns. Anne tried way too hard, and James just didn’t try enough, resulting in a disastrous show that likely solidified the notion that producers should stick to comedians for the job.
9. Hugh Jackman (2009)
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Sorry, Jackman. You’re a lovely singer and dancer, but this ain’t the Tonys. It was too much Broadway flair and not enough jokes.
8. David Letterman (1995)
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It was the “Oprah, Uma” gag that did him in. It just went on for way too long, and Hollywood was not amused.
7. Seth MacFarlane (2013)
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The Family Guy creator was an odd choice simply because we don’t see him in front of the camera much. He took risks with some edgier jokes (Such as: "['Django Unchained'] is the story of a man fighting to get back his woman, who's been subjected to unthinkable violence. Or as Chris Brown and Rihanna call it, a date movie.") and received a mixed response from critics.
6. Billy Crystal (1990 - 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2012)
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He’s hosted a TON of times (9 to be exact), with varying degrees of success. The best part is whenever he inserts himself into the Oscar-nominated films. But when they brought him back to host the 2012 awards after Eddie Murphy dropped out, we sort of felt like he was the “safe” choice. He did play it safe, and in effect, the show was a bit boring.
5. Whoopi Goldberg (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002)
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Remember when she appeared on stage in full Queen Elizabeth I regalia? She really went for it and nailed it.
4. Chris Rock (2005)
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When he hosted, they had the telecast run on a 7-second delay – just in case. We know at least one person wasn’t a fan. After Chris made a joke about Jude Law, a humorless Sean Penn took the stage to criticize the comedian, calling Jude one of the industry’s “finest actors.” At least Chris stayed true to his own boisterous style.
3. Steve Martin &amp; Alec Baldwin (2010)
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Ok, so the pairing may have just been because they had recently starred in a movie together (It’s Complicated), but these two proved to complement each other quite nicely. Steve is a veteran host and knows how to work the room, and Alec is just naturally funny. They're no Tina and Amy, though...
2. Jon Stewart (2002, 2006)
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The things about Jon Stewart is that he’s smart. Very smart. He deftly balanced the political jokes with his hilarious insights on Hollywood and we were thoroughly entertained. Maybe now that he's retiring from The Daily Show, it'll free him up to host more awards shows.
1. Ellen DeGeneres (2007, 2014)
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Nevermind the fact that she took that epic celebrity selfie, she brought PIZZA for everyone last year. Hands down the best.
Who was YOUR favorite Oscar host? Tell us on Twitter!
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Pop star Harry Styles celebrated his 21st birthday early on Saturday (31Jan15) by hosting a party in Los Angeles with stars including David Beckham and Chris Martin. The One Direction heartthrob turned 21 on Sunday (01Feb15), but he started the celebrations early by inviting his famous friends to a party the night before.
In addition, the Coldplay frontman brought his rumoured on/off girlfriend Jennifer Lawrence to the event, and they were joined by Styles' reported model girlfriend Nadine Leopold, Cara Delevingne, Rita Ora, Kelly Osbourne, Kendall Jenner, Alexa Chung, Adam Levine, Courteney Cox, Rashida Jones, and Styles' bandmates Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson.
Styles reportedly jetted off to Glendale, Arizona on his his actual birthday to attend the Super Bowl, where Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott took to the stage during the half time show, and the New England Patriots claimed victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Were you paying attention to the big screen and all the Hollywood happenings in 2014? We thought we'd kick off the New Year with a quick look back over the last 12 months of WENN movie news and pose a few questions to one and all that might just help you recall some magical moments at the cinema, or some hot gossip from the year just gone.
The prize for the winner? Bragging rights and a front row seat to the 2015 Oscars in your own living room! Best of luck!
1. The Fault in Our Stars was based on a book written by which author?
a. John Green
b. John White
c. James Green
d. James Brown
2. What song did not feature on the soundtrack to Guardians of the Galaxy?
a. I'm Not in Love
b. Mama Told Me Not to Come
c. Spirit in the Sky
d. Hooked on a Feeling
3. From which hit animated movie did the catchy tune Everything is Awesome come?
a. Muppets Most Wanted
b. The Lego Movie
c. How to Train Your Dragon 2
d. Mr Peabody and Sherman
4. Game of Thrones star Kit Harington starred in which epic disaster film based on true events?
a. Godzilla
b. 300: Rise of an Empire
c. Hercules
d. Pompeii
5. The son of which longtime Hollywood couple starred alongside Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in 22 Jump Street?
a. Colin Hanks, son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson
b. Oliver Hudson, son of Bill Hudson and Goldie Hawn
c. Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
d. Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn
6. Which of the following was not a cast member in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes?
a. Andy Serkis
b. James Franco
c. Jason Clarke
d. Gary Oldman
7. Get On Up was a biopic based on the life of which legendary musician?
a. James Brown
b. Stevie Wonder
c. George Clinton
d. Smokey Robinson
8. Which Hollywood veteran portrayed the family matriarch in This Is Where I Leave You?
a. Anjelica Huston
b. Jane Fonda
c. Bette Midler
d. Dame Judi Dench
9. Which musical did The Amazing Spider-Man star Emma Stone make her Broadway debut in?
a. Chicago
b. Cabaret
c. Wicked
d. Les Miserables
10. Which one of these celebrities was NOT part of Ellen DeGeneres' famous 'selfie' taken during the 2014 Academy Awards?
a. Channing Tatum
b. Kevin Spacey
c. Matthew McConaughey
d. Jared Leto
11. Which actress celebrated her one-year wedding anniversary to her tennis pro husband on New Year's Eve?
a. Ashley Tisdale
b. Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting
c. Naya Rivera
d. Ginnifer Goodwin
12. Who will play the villain in the next James Bond movie?
a. Quentin Tarantino
b. Mark Strong
c. Christoph Waltz
d. Bryan Cranston
13. Which country do the two actors who played Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma come from?
a. England
b. France
c. Canada
d. America
14. Who rang in 2014 with Charlize Theron and has since become her boyfriend?
a. Sean Penn
b. Chris Pratt
c. Mark Wahlberg
d. Joaquin Phoenix
15. Name new mum Scarlett Johansson's daughter.
a. Kate
b. Jane
c. Apple
d. Rose
16. Which famous Jessica played Matthew McConaughey's grown-up daughter in Interstellar?
a. Jessica Alba
b. Jessica Biel
c. Jessica Chastain
d. Jessica Lange
17. Which Brit picked up the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival in May for his portrayal of grumpy artist J.W. Turner?
a. Colin Firth
b. Timothy Spall
c. Ray Winstone
d. Alan Rickman
18. What was the highest grossing movie of 2014?
a. Transformers: Age of Extinction
b. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
c. Guardians of the Galaxy
d. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
19. Which awards season favourite was filmed over 12 years?
a. Boyhood
b. Birdman
c. Foxcatcher
d. Selma
20. In what film did Jennifer Lawrence debut her singing voice, scoring a chart hit all around the world?
a. Silver Linings Playbook
b. American Hustle
c. X-Men: Days of Future Past
d. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
21. What is the bestselling music soundtrack on iTunes this year?
a. Frozen
b. Annie
c. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
d. Guardians of the Galaxy
22. He ended 2014 a newlywed with a hit movie, called The Theory of Everything. Name the British actor who married fiancee Hannah Bagshawe in England on 15 December.
a. Benedict Cumberbatch
b. Timothy Spall
c. Eddie Redmayne
d. Colin Firth
23. Why did model-turned-actress Milla Jovovich announce she was putting the next film in her Resident Evil franchise on hold in August?
a. Script problems
b. Financial issues
c. Her director husband Paul W.S. Anderson had abandoned the movie
d. She was pregnant
24. In 2014, this actor played Moses and became a new dad. Name him.
a. Joel Edgerton
b. Chris Pratt
c. Christian Bale
d. Mark Wahlberg
25. Another new dad, Chris Hemsworth, was named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 2014, but who's the lucky actress, the mother of his kids, who gets to cuddle up to him every night?
a. Eva Mendes
b. Elsa Pataky
c. Scarlett Johansson
d. Jessica Alba
ANSWERS:
1. a
2. b
3. b
4. d
5. d
6. b
7. a
8. b
9. b
10. c
11. b
12. c
13. a
14. a
15. d
16. c
17. b
18. a
19. a
20. d
21. a
22. c
23. d
24. c
25. b

As obsessive readers and fans of dismissing quality movies as inferior to their literary counterparts, it's important for us to know which books will head to the big screen ahead of time. How else will we know how Wild Reese will be, or what is going to happen to Peeta? Be reasonable. We've decided to use our research for the good of society and share the adaptations coming soon that we are most excited for.
1. The Spook's Apprentice - Joseph Delaney (Seventh Son)
Thomas Ward (Ben Barnes) is the seventh son of the seventh son, which gives him the ability to see things that others cannot: ghosts, ghasts, boggarts, and the like. He becomes an apprentice to John Gregory, the Spook (Jeff Bridges). Julianne Moore is set to play Mother Malkin, one of the most sinister witches who uses blood magic, luring young runaway women into care before sucking their blood to maintain her youth, who was then imprisoned by the Spook. Kit Harington and Djimon Hounsou also star.
2. Fifty Shades of Grey - E.L. James
Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, in case you somehow didn't know, are stepping into the roles of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey for the adaptation of the incredibly successful erotic novel. Steele, a literature student, interviews Grey as a favor to her roommate, but quickly becomes entranced by this brilliant and handsome man who is unable to resist her. He admits his desire, but on his own terms; this is a man with a need to control everything. This is also probably going to be the movie with a bunch of heavy-breathing sweaty middle-aged women trying to control themselves in the theater. You've been warned.
3. In the Heart of the Sea - Nathaniel Philbrick
The last time Ron Howard and Chris Hemsworth teamed up, they brought us one of the best films of 2013, Rush. Now, they're at it again (along with Cillian Murphy and Benjamin Walker) with this story of a whaleship attacked by one angry whale, leaving the crew shipwrecked and stranded for 90 days, thousands of miles from land. The true story inspired a little book by Herman Melville (played in the movie by our favorite, Ben Whishaw) entitled Moby-Dick.
4. The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith (Carol)
W. W. Norton &amp; Company
Patricia Highsmith, author of successful novels-turned-movies like Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley (we're choosing to ignore the recent The Two Faces of January here), wrote The Price of Salt, which will be released as 'Carol.' The novel itself, controversial for its lesbian content and unprecedented gay happy ending, is said to have inspired Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita. The film stars Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, and Sarah Paulson, with Far From Heaven and I'm Not There director Todd Haynes helming.
5. Dark Places - Gillian Flynn
Shaye Areheart Books
Gone Girl author brings us yet another chilling thriller. A young girl is the sole survivor of a massacre that leaves both of her sisters and her mother dead in an apparent Satanic cult ritual. She testifies against her brother, but 25 years later, she begins to investigate the actual events. Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Nicholas Hoult, and Christina Hendricks star.
6. A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson
HarperCollins Publishers
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants director Ken Kwapis is set to direct Bryson's memoir, starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. The hilarious book describes Bryson's attempt to walk the Appalachian Trail with his friend Stephen Katz. Emma Thompson and Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman will also star.
7. Insurgent - Veronica Roth
As conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows, a war looms for Divergent's post-apocalyptic Chicago. In this sequel, we're still following Shailene Woodley and Theo James' Tris and Four as they try to understand the reasons for Erudite's insurrection and obtain information the Abnegation are trying to protect. Kate Winslet, Zoë Kravitz, Ansel Elgort, and Miles Teller return in their supporting roles, and are joined by some all-star names: Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, and Suki Waterhouse.
8. Serena - Ron Rash
The dynamic duo of mega-nominated movies Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle are back at it! Bradley Cooper plays a man trying to maintain his timber empire during the Depression, while Jennifer Lawrence plays his wife who discovers she can't have children. For some reason, we're a little terrified of JLaw in this movie from the trailer.
9. Silence - Shusako Endo
Taplinger Publishing Company
This 1966 novel about a Jesuit missionary sent to 17th century Japan where he endures persecution is set to be adapted by Martin Scorsese. It will also have an all star cast of Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson, Ken Watanabe, and Adam Driver.
10. The Longest Ride - Nicholas Sparks
The producers of The Fault in Our Stars, the author of The Notebook, and the hottest Hollywood son around, this movie already has us in love with it. Scott Eastwood and Britt Robertson play two lovers and there's a rodeo or something; we don't really know, we were just thinking about how much this movie will make us cry. Time to read the book.
11. Far From the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
The Hunt director Thomas Vinterberg tackles Thomas Hardy's novel. Carey Mulligan stars as Bathsheba Everdene, a woman who has too many men in love with her and of course rejects them all until she falls for one. Three men, played by Michael Sheen, Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone), and Tom Sturridge (On The Road), all after this woman: who will she end up with? We actually just read the plot description and had everything spoiled and somehow still gasped and cried at those three paragraphs. Why didn't we know about this book before?!
12. Paper Towns - John Green
Dutton Books
The Fault in Our Stars author John Green's next book to be adapted by the same team who adapted TFIOS (Scott Neustadter &amp; Michael H. Weber). Margo and her adventures are legendary at her high school, and Quentin ("Q") has always loved her for it. Margo climbs through his window and demands he take an all night road trip of revenge, but when she goes missing the next day, Q realizes she's left clues for him and promptly hits the road again in search of her. Cara Delevingne will play Margo and TFIOS' Nat Wolff will play Q.
13. The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge - Michael Punke
Carroll &amp; Graf Publishers
Academy Award-nominated Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman, 21 Grams, Biutiful) is set to direct Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy in this adaptation. Partially based on the life of fur trapper Hugh Glass. Leo will play Glass, who is mauled by a bear, then later robbed and left for dead by his companions. He survives and sets out for revenge against those same men.
14. The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry
Faber and Faber
A one-hundred-year-old woman, Roseanne McNulty, in a mental hospital for about 50 years decides to retrace her history. As the hospital faces demolition and he must choose which of his patients should be transferred and which should rejoin the community, Dr. Grene also tries to discover her history. What they find is very different, though there are some consistencies. Vanessa Redgrave and Rooney Mara will play Roseanne McNulty, Eric Bana will play Grene, with Theo James also starring.
15. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
Penguin Classics
An oft-adapted novel, Mary Shelley's classic is to be turned into yet another film, this time directed by Paul McGuigan (Lucky Number Slevin, Push). The updated version, titled Victor Frankenstein, will be told from the perspective of the doctor's assistant, Igor. The film will explain how the doctor became the man who created the legendary monster. Daniel Radcliffe will play Igor and James McAvoy will play Victor Frankenstein.
16. The Martian - Andy Weir
Crown Publishing Group
Described as Cast Away meets Apollo 13, the novel follows an astronaut stranded on Mars, fighting to survive (which also sounds mildly like Gravity to us, no?). Ridley Scott is set to direct a pretty stellar (no pun intended) cast here: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Donald Glover, Kate Mara, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. This sounds like a great movie already, but we'll have to wait until November to see it.
17. The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling
Macmillan Publishers
Walt Disney Pictures is working on this live-action/CGI mash-up of the classic book, directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Chef), with a mind-bogglingly incredible cast. Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito will provide voices, while newcomer Neel Sethi will play Mowgli.

George Clooney and his new bride Amal have topped a new celebrity sex tape wish list. The couple, who wed earlier this year (14) in Italy, have toppled Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge as the celebrities porn fans would most like to see making out, according to bosses at top sex tape distributor Vivid Entertainment.
The Clooneys have beaten out Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Martin to the top of the new list, while Miley Cyrus and Patrick Schwarzenegger come in third.
Vivid co-founder Steven Hirsch tells WENN, "George and Amal quickly gained our favour as the world's hottest couple with the speed of their romance and sheer glamour of their Italian wedding. We're confident that a sex tape starring this couple would be an instant international bestseller."
Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello and Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds round out the new top five, while Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield, new parents Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, Behati Prinsloo and Adam Levine, and Charlize Theron and Sean Penn make the top 10.

Gwyneth Paltrow gave her estranged husband Chris Martin a big boost on Wednesday night (29Oct14) by hailing him as "father of the year" as she introduced him onstage at the AmfAR gala in Los Angeles. The actress beamed with pride as she welcomed the event's surprise performer.
Paltrow, who was hosting the gala, said, "This brilliant singer/songwriter has sold eight million records, has won every single award that there is to be won, especially Father of the Year, which he has won consecutively since 2004.
"I am speaking of Chris Martin, and the incredibly talented Jonny Buckland, who together make up one-half of the legendary band Coldplay."
Martin and his bandmate took the stage and played Coldplay tunes Paradise and Viva La Vida.
The singer quipped, "Good evening. This is Justin Timberlake. I'm Justin Bieber. We are Bieber and Timberlake and we play Coldplay covers just for the money."
Ironically, Timberlake was sitting next to Martin's estranged wife in the audience.
AmFar gala regular Sharon Stone later took the stage and complimented Paltrow for keeping her marriage split amicable, stating, "We thank you for your inner and outer beauty, which you demonstrated by the fact that you get along with your ex-husband (sic)."
Paltrow famously "consciously uncoupled" from her husband of 10 years in March (14), but they have remained friendly and have repeatedly been photographed enjoying dinner together since the public announcement.
Martin's gala appearance occurred two days after his reported romance with actress Jennifer Lawrence came to an end following four months of dating.

Actress Jennifer Lawrence and rocker Chris Martin have ended their brief romance after just four months of dating.
The American Hustle star, 24, first became linked to the Coldplay singer, 37, in late June (14) and they were photographed together last month (Sep14), as they disembarked a private plane in Los Angeles.
The low-key couple never commented publicly about the relationship, but it appears the romance is now over, according to Eonline.com.
Lawrence previously dated her X-Men: First Class co-star Nicholas Hoult on and off until their split earlier this year (14), while Martin famously "consciously uncoupled" from his wife of 10 years, Gwyneth Paltrow, in March (14).

Actor Nicholas Hoult has broken his silence over ex-girlfriend Jennifer Lawrence's nude photo scandal, branding the hacking a "shame". The Hunger Games star was one of dozens of female celebrities targeted in the recent Hollywood hack, which led to personal naked pictures of the stars posted on the Internet.
Lawrence spoke out about the "disgusting" incident for the first time in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, dubbing it a "sex crime" and "sexual violation".
She went on to reveal the pictures were originally intended for an unnamed boyfriend, believed to be her X-Men: First Class co-star Hoult.
She said, "Every single thing that I tried to write made me cry or get angry. I started to write an apology, but I don't have anything to say I'm sorry for. I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he's going to look at you."
During a visit to U.S. TV show Good Day New York on Thursday (08Oct14), Hoult opened up about the hacking for the first time, saying, "It's shocking that things like that happen in the world. It's a shame."
Ironically, Hoult was on the show to promote his new film Young Ones alongside director Jake Paltrow, who is Gwyneth Paltrow's brother and former brother-in-law of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who is rumoured to be currently dating Lawrence.

Jennifer Lawrence's ideal guy is a reality TV fan, who isn't afraid to fart in front of her.
The Hunger Games star, who is reportedly dating Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, tells Vanity Fair magazine she's not into flashy guys who love to party, insisting her perfect date night is one spent on the sofa in front of the TV. She explains, "I would just rather have somebody that has the same taste in reality TV (as me)... (someone who) isn't afraid to fart in front of me... I'd rather have just a peaceful time. (Those relationships) are deeper because you can be your true self with somebody, and somebody can be their true self with you."
And she'd rather leave the drama on a film set, adding, "I don't like fighting, and I find argumentative people the most annoying people on the planet... It's just unattractive."

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin swapped bands on Friday night (03Oct14) by performing with Kings Of Leon in California. The British rocker joined the Sex On Fire hitmakers for their show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, surprising the crowd by taking to the stage to play piano and sing on the band's track Talihina Sky.
He also joined them for a rendition of their song Notion.
As Martin took a bow and left the stage, frontman Caleb Followill told the crowd, "I hope you enjoyed that. That cost us a lot of money."
Reports suggest Martin was joined backstage by his rumoured girlfriend, actress Jennifer Lawrence.

Starred opposite Danny DeVito in "What's the Worst That Could Happen?"

Summary

Arguably one of the most popular and successful comedians of the mid-1990s, not to mention being the man who first popularized "Wassup?" as a socially acceptable expression of hello, actor Martin Lawrence quickly rose to prominence on the back of his popular sitcom "Martin" (Fox, 1992-97), only to become embroiled in personal travails that very nearly ruined his career. While basking in the early success of "Martin," Lawrence began making strides in the feature world, starting with the hit action-comedy, "Bad Boys" (1995). But trouble began to surface when he landed in the hospital following an outburst while on the set of his first directing job, "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" (1996), which precipitated a series of embarrassing events that included sexual harassment charges from his "Martin" co-star, a brutal divorce from his first wife, and a strange episode where he was found waving a gun at tourists in Los Angeles. Despite his personal problems, Lawrence had a popular hit with "Big Momma's House" (2000) while maintaining a steady career pace that saw its share of misfires, but always kept Lawrence in the public eye.

Name

Role

Comments

Lyana

Daughter

Mother, Shamicka Gibbs

Ameria

Daughter

Mother, Shamicka Gibbs

Shamicka Gibbs

Wife

Married July 10, 2010 in Beverly Hills, CA; Separated April 24, 2012; Lawrence filed for divorce April 25, 2012

Education

Name

Eleanor Roosevelt High School

Friendly High School

Thomas G. Pullen School of Creative and Performing Arts

Notes

Lawrence was accused of sexual harrassment by co-star Tisha Campbell in a lawsuit filed in January 1997. Campbell, who had quit the Fox sitcom in November, agreed to complete the final two episodes of the five-year run of "Martin" (Fox) on the condition that she would not have to appear in any more scenes with him. This provided a real a challenge for the writers who had to to make the pair seem like a loving couple, though they never stood in the same room.

Actor Martin Lawrence collapsed while jogging and lay in a coma for three days before regaining consciousness, hospital officials said Wednesday. He was running in heavy clothing to try to lose weight for a movie role, putting himself near death when his body temperature rose to more than 107 degrees. - from USAToday, Aug. 26, 1999

"It's like Arsenio [Hall] says: If you're doing comedy and you haven't stolen from [Richard] Pryor, then you ain't doing it right. I agree with that. All I studied was Pryor, [Eddie] Murphy, Redd Foxx, Moms Mably. I looked to the old school. I looked to those I considred to be the best of their times. I consider Richard Pryor the best of all time." - Lawrence quoted in Rolling Stone, Nov. 11, 1993

"When I was growing up, people cracked on my ears, a lot. Kids are blunt. They don't know no better, so they'll say, 'Oooh, you got some big ears,' or 'Hi, Mr. Elf.' So there came a time when I had to learn to joke on my own ears." - Lawrence, quoted in New York Post, April 9, 1996

On his erratic behavior: "He's not sick, he's not taking drugs. I think [his behavior] was a combination of many things - a marriage that didn't go well, doing movies back to back with his sitcom. I think he's learned how to pace himself." - an inside source quoted in the New York Post, July 16, 1997

About his first meeting long ago with Eddie Murphy at the Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard: "I watched Eddie on 'Saturday Night Live' and I couldn't believe it when I looked down and saw Eddie Murphy in the audience. I thought I might need oxygen or something. I still can't believe I did two movies with him. I learn something from him each time. Eddie's a great teacher." - Lawrence to Cindy Pearlman in the Chicago Sun-Times, April 11, 1999

In May 1996, Martin was picked up by police in Sherman Oaks, CA, after complaints that he was screaming at motorists and pedestrians; police discovered a concealed weapon; released to his personal physician who issued statement that Lawrence was suffering from exhaustion and dehydration.

Detained on July 29, 1996 for attempting to board a flight from Burbank to Phoenix carrying a concealed 9mm Baretta; eventually received two years' probation.

In October 1996, Martin's wife obtained a temporary restraining order against him, claiming in divorce papers to be frightened for her own and her daughter's safety.